


Family

by AwkwardTiming



Series: One Step at a Time [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, mostly just talking on a step late at night, stress-induced poor sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 11:04:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8203388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardTiming/pseuds/AwkwardTiming
Summary: Things were supposed to be better once they told their friends.So why was Bitty having so much trouble sleeping?





	

**Author's Note:**

> @mssmithlove1 and I have this thing where we try to write more nights than not, for about an hour. I was meant to be working on something else, but this has been rattling around in my brain after the last updated of @omgcheckplease on tumblr (go read it, if you haven’t. It’s amazing.)

For the fourth night in a row, Bitty woke up in a sweat, his heart racing like he’d run a race.

Or racing the way it always did when he anticipated a check.

His dreams were a mess of dark places, faceless bullies, loneliness and ruined pies.

Shaking slightly, he untangled his legs from the sheets and put his feet on the floor. That helped. The floor was solid under his feet, grounding him to the present. His heart was calming, but he was awake now and he knew it would take him a bit to fall asleep, so he grabbed his phone and made his way down to the kitchen.

Tonight’s dream had been different. The jeering voices had been voices back home – voices he recognized. Family.

Telling their friends was supposed to make it easier. He could talk about Jack now – at least, he could talk about Jack and dating Jack with the people he lived with. Instead, he’d had nightmares every night since. He fiddled with his phone, tempted to text Jack. Or maybe Shitty. He knew Lardo had only returned from her studio a couple hours ago, so he didn’t want to bother her. And texting Rans or Holster seemed – well, he’d get both and he hated to disturb two people when he knew knew he was being ridiculous. Well, maybe not ridiculous. He suspected, but didn’t really know, how his parents would react if he told them. When he told them.

He got a glass of water and made his way out to the front step. It was colder than he’d realized and he wasn’t really dressed for it, but the fresh air was nice.

He thought about his parents. He felt like his mother at least must suspect. Not necessarily that he was dating Jack, but that he was… not straight and that he’d met someone. She’d hinted that he seemed busier this semester. He’d brushed her off, saying it was just that he was a junior and the classes were a little harder. No, Mama. Not so hard I’m worried about keeping up with them and hockey, just… less free time.

He didn’t know about Coach. Because the thing was – he knew he must have heard things from the players on his team. And, sure, that would have all been rumor. After the closet incident, Bitty had been careful at school, especially. But rumors still happen. And he wasn’t friends with many people from his home town, but he was friends with a few and it was a small town. Everyone talked.

Maybe he should just get it over with. Just tell them. What was the worst thing that could happen?

Bitty’s mind helpfully began to spin out a million possibilities, none of them good. He set his glass down and buried his hands in his hair, sinking his forehead to his knees.

“You ok?” asked a voice behind him, intentionally soft.

Bitty straightened and looked back to where Holster stood in the doorway. “Yeah,” he said, after a moment, realizing Holster was still looking at him questioningly.

“Want company?”

Bitty looked out toward the street, not sure how to answer. He shook his head at himself. Part of the point of telling the group was so that he would have people to talk to. He looked back to Holster, “Yeah. Yes, if you don’t – It’s late.”

“I heard you come out,” Holster said with a shrug. “Hadn’t fallen asleep yet. When I didn’t hear the door open again, I decided to come see what was up.”

“Sorry,” Bitty said, watching as Holster sat down on the step next to him.

“Nothing to be sorry for, Bits. Want to tell me what’s got you up at oh-dark-thirty? Or just want company in staring out at the dark street?”

“I – “ Bitty chewed at his lip for a moment, trying to figure out how to put into words what he’d been worrying about. “Telling everyone was good. Great, really. But now I can’t stop thinking about telling my parents. Not even really about Jack and me, but just. Telling them that I’m. That I like.” Bitty made a frustrated noise, then said very precisely, “I keep thinking about telling them that I’m gay.”

“And you’re worried?”

Bitty nodded.

“Fair.” Holster was quiet until Bitty looked over at him. He huffed out a breath. “Ok. So. Stick with me. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“They hate me and kick me out and they never want to talk to me again.”

“Oh, Bits,” Holster said and opened his mouth to say They won’t do that and Bitty was intensely grateful that Holster didn’t say that. Instead he said, “Ok. So they kick you out. What does that change?”

“Um. I don’t. I wouldn’t have a home to go back to at break. I don’t. There wouldn’t be family,” Bitty could feel the panic rising – along with an urge to cry.

“Ok. Ok,” Holster pulled Bitty into his side. “So, that’s terrible and everything, but. You have a scholarship to play, so you’re good for as long as you’re in school and technically we can stay in the Haus over break. Also, and this may come as a shock, but I’m pretty sure Jack would be pretty pleased if you wanted to stay with him for a while over break. Or you could come home with me. Hang out with Rans and I.”

After a moment, Holster continued, “My mom’s parents didn’t really like my dad when they first got married. I remember her saying that it was hard to not be as close to her parents, but that she’d made a family with my dad. You and Jack – I mean, I know it’s new or whatever – but you guys have something. You’re making a life together. A family. So, ok. It would be terrible if you didn’t talk to your parents for a while, but maybe they’d come around. One or both. And even if they don’t. You have Jack. And you have me and Rans and Shits and Lardo. The team has your back, Bits. On or off the ice. You have to know that.”

Bitty drew in a jerky breath and looked up at Holster. “Thank you.”

“Feel better?”

Bitty nodded.

“Gonna sleep now?”

“Yeah. I’ll text Jack in the morning. I think – I think I’m going to tell my parents this weekend, but I want to let Jack know. Not – I’m not going to say anything about that, just.”

“Just want to let your boyfriend know what’s going on?”

Bitty flushed. “I have a boyfriend.”

“Dude, you’ve had a boyfriend for a while,” Holster said on a laugh, standing and pulling Bitty up after him.

“Hush. I have a boyfriend people know about. It’s new.”

They made their way back into the Haus and, though Bitty still had a lot of things to think about, he felt himself slowly relaxing.


End file.
